Women’s menstrual health knowledge

There is no "must not do" list that applies to everyone. The first priority for judging all behaviors is your own physical comfort. At the same time, you only need to avoid the clear risks that have been proven by evidence-based medicine. There is no need to be bound by various Internet celebrity popular science and the dogma of elders.

I also received news from my cousin last week, saying that my aunt was greedy and drank half a glass of iced Americano on the first day. Her mother scolded her for half an hour, saying that it would be the root of the disease in the future. She was so scared that she squatted on the sofa and held her stomach. She started to feel faintly uncomfortable even though she didn't feel any pain at first. To be honest, many menstrual taboos are essentially summaries of experience under specific living conditions, and they should be adjusted flexibly by now. Take the most commonly asked question "Can you wash your hair during menstruation?" for example. The older generation said that touching water will cause headaches. The essence is that there were no heaters or high-power hair dryers in the past. After washing your hair for a long time in the winter, the blood vessels in the head will constrict when the cold wind blows. It is easy to cause pain due to elevated prostaglandins during menstruation, but does it make matters worse? Now, as long as you wash your hair with warm water at 37-40 degrees, blow it with hot air immediately after washing, and don't blow cold air or sleep with your head wet, it's totally fine. I wash my hair every day during my menstruation period, and I haven't had the headache problem that my elders said in so many years. Of course, if you are in so much pain that you can't straighten your waist and don't even have the strength to sit up, then of course there is no need to wash it hard. Isn't it good to sit on the bed and cover your hair with a hot water bottle?

Speaking of which, I have to mention the taboo issue that everyone is arguing about the most. Traditional Chinese medicine says that cold food can cause qi and blood stasis and aggravate dysmenorrhea. Western medicine says that as long as your gastrointestinal tolerance is tolerated, cold food will not directly affect the uterus. Both views are reasonable. There is no right or wrong. When I was on exchange abroad, the Spanish girl in my dormitory still ate popsicles and drank iced Coke during her menstrual period. When I asked her about it, she still found it strange and said that she had never heard such a saying before and that nothing happened to her. ； But as long as I take a sip of iced milk tea during my period, I will definitely be writhing in pain half an hour later, so there is really no need to copy other people's experience. Eat it if you feel comfortable, and don't touch it if you feel uncomfortable. No one can set standards for you. The only red line to draw is alcohol and excessive caffeine. These two can really increase the secretion of prostaglandins. Regardless of whether you are cold or not, drinking too much will make you more prone to breast swelling and pain, emotional irritability, and even prolonged menstruation. This is supported by large-scale clinical studies, so don’t argue.

Before, a friend asked me if I could exercise during my period. Every time, I would ask her first: Does it hurt? I know an amateur runner who can run 330 meters in a marathon. During his menstrual period, except for the first two days when the heavy flow is heavy, he slows down a bit, and the rest of the time he still runs 5 kilometers a day. He said that after running, he felt relaxed and his menstrual cramps were relieved. ； But another friend of mine who has adenomyosis is so painful that she breaks into a cold sweat even if she takes two extra steps during her menstrual period. If you ask her to exercise, aren’t you just looking for trouble? Of course, there is a clear risk to be reminded: During the 1-2 days when the amount is highest, try not to do exercises that increase abdominal pressure, such as weight-bearing squats, crunches, and planks. Abdominal pressure that is too high will indeed increase the probability of menstrual blood reflux, and in the long run, there is a risk of inducing endometriosis. This has been clinically proven, and there is no need to try blindly.

Oh, by the way, there is another question that many people are embarrassed to ask: Can I have sex during my period? There is indeed no completely unified conclusion in the academic community. Some studies believe that as long as you are clean and gentle, there will be no problem. There are also clinical data showing that having sex during menstruation will significantly increase the risk of pelvic infection and endometriosis. My personal suggestion is that there is no need to take this risk. It’s not bad for a few days, right? Also, I would like to remind everyone, don’t wait until the sanitary napkin is full before changing it. Even if you use a small amount, you have to change it every 2 hours at most. I used to have a junior sister who was busy with her graduation thesis and changed it every half a day. As a result, she got vulvitis. She was itchy and couldn’t sit still for almost a week. It took several hundred to cure it. It was not worth the loss.

In fact, our bodies are more honest than any popular science. If you feel comfortable, there is no problem. If you feel uncomfortable, stop immediately. If the pain is really severe, don’t bear it. Taking ibuprofen will not cause dependence. It is much better for your health than crying in pain. Don’t be fooled by those who say “taking medicine during menstruation is not good”. The most important thing is to feel comfortable.